Assionob



Jan. 5, 1932. T. a. TYLER rosm'rvs DRIVE CLUTCH Original Filed March 19, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet l innuendo;

Jan. 5, 1932. T. B. TYLER POSITIVE DRIVE CLUTCH Reisaued Jan. 5, 1932 use 18,319

UNI ED STATES PATENT. oFFics TRACY 3. mm, OI DETROIT, IICHIGAH; ASSIQIIOB, BY ASSIGW'I'Q TO mm MOTORS amnion (RIB-PORTION, OF DETROIT, IIGEIGAI, A (DENM- .TION or nmwm Dawn cnu'rcn enema application fled larch 19, 1996, Serial No. 85,910. Renewed July 13, 1088. Original Io.

1,70!,758,dated February 18, 1839. Application for reissue fled lay 15, 1930. Serial Io. 454,889.

This invention relates to clutches, and particularly relates to sitive drive clutches.

It is an object of t e invention to automatically and positively prevent contact of the p drive elements of a pair of positive-drive clutch members which are not synchronously rotatin and to thus eliminate the clashing of suc members and the resultant .heavy wear and frequent breakage occurring 1n constructions now commonly used.

More specifically, it s an object of the invention to associate with a pair of power transmitting members rovided with co-acting positive drive clu members, means act'- ing. frictionallyor otherwise in response to a controlling efiort to establish substantial 'synchronism of speeds of said clutch members, and'to prevent any contact of the drive elementsof said members until such synchronism has been established whereupon the thrust exerted upon one of the positive clu members to move it toward the other will e feet a relative angular displacement of said positive clutch members and said means to 5 establish synchronism which will rmit interen'gagement of the positiveclu members.

Another object is to provide an automatic control means as above set forth which will not add appreciable resistance to of the clutch in the event that the same is pa ed ease or the like. s

till another object is to provide a clutch havin an automatic control mechanism of the a 7 ve described character which avoid the use of parts that may work loose and possibly d. u anyon elen'i'ents driven throu the clutch. i I

These and various other'obiects the invention' attains by the construction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanydrawings, wherein: I

. igure 1 1s a view in axial sectional elevation of the clutch with its members in drivf in engagement. r

igure2isafragmentarysectional view corresponding to a portion of Figure 1, but showing the positions of the arts when the 1 clutch members are separa Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken upon the lined-3 of Figural.

' The members 3 an said shaft in the disclosed embodiment oi said yoke being F re 4 is a cute section taken on uneasiness.

Fi re 5 is a vi ew similar toFiiire 4 but showing the parts positioned to the Bliding clutch member against further movement toward its companionmemberuntil the two are synchronously rotating.

l lgnrefiisarearviewofa ring whi'chis axial! slidable upon one of the clutch members owin the means carried by said ring for guidin lts sliding travel.

F1 re is a sectional view taken on the line 7 of Figure 3.

In these views, the reference character 1 1 designates a gear mounted to turn freely upon as a shaft 2, and having a positive-drive male clutch member 3 formed integral therewith, and a designates a companion female clutch member turning with said shaft and slidable 1 to engage or go the clutch member 3. 1b

4 are formed with ordinary clutch teeth 34: and 4a respectively. While the described mount of the parts on the shaft may be vari y established 15 the invention has spline ways receiving splines u ipn the clutch member 4, and the.

r 1 wit its integrally formed clutch memr is journaled u n a sleeve 6 splined onv the shaft and hel from longitudinal trav so thereon by any suitable means. Said gear 1 and said shaft 2 constitute two power transmitting members which may be con led in driving relation by the toothed clutc members or elements 3 and 4. p a

For shifting the clutch member4 -a yoke 6isengagedmanannular groove linthe said clutch member, is common practi carried bya suitable contro rod 8 actuablem parallelism with the shaft 2.

Surrounding the clutch member 3, a drum QissecuredtothegearI'byriVets IOorin othersuitable manner, said drum having a suflicient r toallow. the clutch memher 4 to lie within said drum when operatively the clutch member 8 (see Fig. 1 11: designates a control permanen y connected-to the drum 9 to rotate in substantial unison with said drum and slidable into and out of said drum, saidring having an anm nular female friction face 12, inclined to the axis of the clutch and engageable by a simi- The force aetin lar male friction face 13 on a control ring 13a attached to the clutch member 4 by rivets 136 or the like. Control rings 11 and 13a constitute frictionally engageable means adapted to bring the said power transmitting members 1 and 2 to substantially equal speeds before intermeshing the positive clutch elements 3 and 4. Y While the desired connection between th ring 11 and the drum 9 may be variously established, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention blocks or radial arms 14 are rigidly secured interiorly to said drum at sultable circumferentially spaced points to establish said connection. Rivets 15 are the means shown for holding said blocks in place, shearing stress upon said rivets being avoided by forming each block with a rib 16 fitting into a groove extending transversely of the drum in its inner face. As is best seen in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 the ring 11 has integral rearward projections 17 flush with its circumferential face and spaced correspondingly to the blocks 14. Upon each projection 17, there is integrally formed a pair of spaced lugs 18 which extend rearwardly and further extend outward to embrace the corresponding block 14, as best seen in Figures 4 and 5. Preferably said lugs have their inner ends integrally connected as indicated at 18c and are beveled. The width of the blocks 14 is slightly increased at their forward ends to form sto s 19 engageable by the lugs 18 to limit sli ing of the ring 11 outwardly from the drum. A air of notches 20 of truncated V-form,eac having an inclined rear wall or surface constituting a stop or. detent element adapted to cooperate with the beveled surface of one or the other of said lugs 18, which thus constitutes a cooperating detent element, is formed oppositely in the sides of each block 14 a slight distance inward from the steps 19 and either of said notches is adapted to rece 1ve the corresponding lug 18 through a sllght rotation of the ring 11 relative to the drum in order to set the detent elements or bring them into axial alinement for a purose to be presently disclosed. (See Fig. 5.) uch rotation may occur, however, only after the r1ng has been shifted away from the stops 19 sufficiently to register said lugs with said notches.

axially to move the toothed clutch mem ers toward intermeshing position is resolved into two components, one of which, owing to the inclination of the detent surfaces in a plane tangent to the are of rotation is a force acting tangentially to the path of rotary movement of said detent elements.

The front end faces of the blocks 14 are beveled, as indicated at 21, and when the ring 11 is fully withdrawn from the drum 9, as

seen in Figures 2 and 4, c lindrical plun ers 22 slidable radially in sai ring, bear at t eir outer ends against said faces 21, said ends being conically beveled to conform to the inclination of said faces. Each plunger 22 is outwardly urged by a bow spring 23 passing throu h the plunger and similarly pro'ecting at eac side thereof, the ring 11 being ormed with channels 24 in its circumferential face receiving said springs. As the ring 11 is shifted into the drum 9 the plungers 22 are first retracted toward the center of said ring by the faces 21 of the blocks 14 and then enter shallow V-shaped grooves 25 extending in the inner faces of said blocks parallel to the clutch axis. The described retraction of the plungers projects their inner ends into an annular groove 26 in the clutch member 4, whereby upon separation of the clutch members the ring 11 is shifted out of the drum 9 by the clutch member 41. Preferably the inner end portions of the plungers 22 have their rear faces beveled as indicated at 28 and the rear wall of the groove 26 is correspondingly beveled, so that, as the ring 11 and clutch member 4 are being shifted to their forward limiting positions shown in Figure 2 the engaged beveled faces of the plungers and of the groove 26 will tend to throw the plungers out of said groove even if the springs 23 are broken or for any other reason fail to function.

It is preferred to so cover the channels 24 that in case of breakage of any of the springs 23 the piece thereof cannot escape and possibly do damage. As shown, elongated sheet metal covers 29 are employed to cover said channels, said covers being retained in dovetailed channels co-extensive with the channels 24, the ends of said covers being inturned toward the axis of the clutch to enter radial bores 31 in said ring, whereby the covers are normally held from sliding in said dove-tailed channels. v.

32 designates openings in the web of the drum 9 adjacent to its periphery, said openings re 'steri with the lugs 18 and receiving sai lugs w en the ring 11 is fully within the drum, as seen in Figure 1.

Considering now the operation of the described clutch, it is to be understood that when the members 3 and 4 are se ilarated or in neutral, as Figure 2 illustrates, t e ring 11 is withdrawn from the drum 9, and the plun rs 22, responding to the springs 23, bear at t eir outer ends upon the inclined end faces 21 of the blocks 14. The pressure thus exerted by said pins holds the lugs 18 firmly against the sto s 19, preventing any inward shifting of sai rin and also avoiding any rattle of said ring. n the described position of the parts, the clutch member 4 is in a position slightly withdrawing its friction face 13 from that of the ring 11, said clutch member being held thus positioned by its control means 6, 8 in III enga

any suitable manner. In establishing a drive throu h the clutch, the initial sliding actuaber su cientl to register t e lugs 18 with the notches 20. t is to be noted that the travel requisite to establish such registration is slight and not suflicient to contact the teeth of the clutch member 4 with those of the member '3. Assuming that the two clutch members are not synchronously rotating as is practicall always the case, the ring 11 will immediate y under 0 the sli ht rotation permitted by entrance 0 one of t e lugs 18 into the corresponding notch 20 responding to the rotative tendency derived from the c utch member 4 through the friction faces 12 and 13. This ment of either In 18 in the correspon ing notch 20, accorlfing to the sense of rotation, locks the clutch member 4 inst any further actuation toward the clutch member 3, controlling pressure 'upon the clutch member4 acting on y to increase the friction between the faces 12 and 13 and thus to synchronize the speeds of the two, clutch memthe ring the bers. ,When synchronism has thus been es tablished, neither lug 18 will be rotatively urged into the corresponding notch 20 and the controlling efiort'actmg axially upon the ring 11 will force the In 18 out of said notches due to the cam action of the inclined rear walls of the notches on said lugs allowing the block or arm 14 to enter the go between the lugs. Thus travel of said ri into the drum 9 is no lon r o posed, an as such travel is completed the c utch teeth 30 and 4a fully engage each other. ,As has already been described, the initial actuation of'the clutch member 4 en ages the outer ends of the plungers 22 with t e beveled faces 21 of the blocks 14 retracting said plungers. The resistance initially offered by said plungers to sliding of 11 creates a suflicient ressure between t e friction faces 12 andl to give said ring the desired rotative im ulse to cause entry of one of the lugs 18 in t e corresponding notch 20 when registered with the latter. Retraction of the plungers 22 furthermore engages their inner portions in the groove 26 so that said plungers establish an interlock to move the member 4 and ring 11 in unison during retraction of the former. The V-shaped grooves 25 which receive the outer ends of the plungers 22 after retraction of said lungers aid in withdrawing either in 18 m the corresponding notch 20, since t e tendency of said grooves 1S to maintain the plungcrs and airs of lugs centered with respect to the bloc s 14. 1

The described control device may be applied as an attachment to ractically any positive drive clutch by simp fastening the drum 9 and synchronizing ring 1311 to the co-acting clu members, as shown,orin some other suitable manner. It is obvious, however, that said device may, if desired, be made an initial part of such a clutch instead of bein ap lied as an attachment.

i e the described clutch controlmechanism is particularly desirable in connection with the change speed gears of a motor vehicle, it is apparent that the construction may be advantageously applied to any positive drive clutch for reducing the wear and danger of breakage.

It is 'of importance to note that the pri-- ma function of the control rin 11 and 13a is, t rough a limited rotation o the former ring to establish a temporar lock against continued advancement of t e sliding clutchmember until speed synchronization occurs. The effect of said rings in expeditin such synchronization is in most cases incidental, slnce synchronization would occur without said members, but less rapidly. As the friction surfaces occupy a circumferential zone outside of the zone occu ied by the positive clutch teeth a high mechanical advantage,

and are so disposed as to distribute the pressure upon ring 11 evenly without tending to distort it during synchronizing efl'ect.

What I claim is: 1. The combination with a pair of co-axial clutch members, one slidable toward the oth-' er, said members having engageable positivedrive elements, and shlftin means for said sliding member, of a pair 0% frictional speed synchronizin members carried one b each of said clutc members and engagea le reonsive to an initial sliding of the slidable c utch member toward the companion clutch member one of said synchronizing members being shdably actuable by the other parallel to the clutch axis, and further being adapted for a limited rotative actuation by the other synchronizin member with respect to its su porting clutc member, and means upon t e last mentioned member stopping sliding travel of the sliding synchronizing member while it is rotatively shlfted relative to its supporting clutch member, said drive elements being se arated in the rotatively shifted position 0 the slidin synchronizing member, and being enga ca Is by complet on of the sliding travel 0 the sliding synchronizing member.

2. The combination with a pair of co-ax al clutch members, having engageable positive drive elements, and means or actuating one of said members slidably to and from the other, of a drum mounted upon one of said members, a pair of annular speed synchronizsynchronizing member and thereby prevent-v ing complete response of the sliding clutch member to a controlling effort and thereby holding the drive elements of the clutch members se arated until the speeds of the clutch mem ers are synchronized.

3. The combination with a air of co-axial clutch members, one slidab e toward the other, said members having engageable positive-drive elements, of a drum secured to one of said members, a pair of frictionally engageable speed synchronizing members, one mounted upon the other of said clutch members, and the other upon said drum, means interiorly carried by the drum drivin the synchronizing member mounted on the rum in substantial unison with the drum, and guiding said member for sliding travel into and out of the drum, said means providing for a limited rotation of said member with respect to the drum in one position of sliding travel of said synchronizing member, and locking said member against continued sliding travel into the drum when rotatively shifted in said position, the drive elements of the clutch members being separated in said position of the sliding synchronizing member and being operatively engageable upon further actuation of said member into the drum.

4. The combination with a pair of eo-axial clutch members having engageable positivedrive elements, and means for slidably actuating one of said clutch members to engage it with or disengage from the other, of a s eed synchronizing member substantially xed upon the sliding clutch member and having a friction face, a companion speed synchronizing member slidable upon the other clutch member, and having a friction face engageable by that of the first-named synchronizing member in advance of engagement of said drive elements, a mounting upon the other clutch member for said sliding synchronizing member establishing a rotative drive to the synchronizing member and guiding the same for sliding travel, and means locking the sliding synchronizing member from sliding travel automatically releasable upon speed synchronization of the two clutch members.

5. The combination with a pair of co-axial clutch members, having engageable positive drive elements, and actuating means for one of said clutch members, of a speed synchronizing member mounted upon one of said clutch members and slidable axiall thereon and rotative in substantial unison t erewith, a companion speed synchronizing member mounted upon the other clutch member and engageable with the first-named synchronizing member responsive to said actuating means in advance of engagement of said drive elements, means opposing axial actuation of the sliding synchronizing member b the companion synchronizing member until their speeds are substantially synchronized, and means upon the sliding synchronizing member engageable with the second clutch member for returning said synchronizin member to its normal position as the clutc members are being disengaged, and automatically disengageable upon arrival at said normal position.

6. The combination with a air of co-axial clutch members, one actuab e toward the other, having engageable positive drive elements, and control means for said clutch, of a speed synchronizing member mounted upon one of said clutch members and connected thereto to rotate in substantial unison therewith and to slide axially thereupon, a companion speed synchronizing member mounted upon the other clutch member, and engageable with the first mentioned synchronizin member responsive to actuation of the clutc and in advance of engagement of said drive elements, to first eiiect substantial speed synchronization of the two clutch members and to then actuate the sliding synchronizing member in unison with the actuated clutch member, means restraining the sliding synchronizing member from complete response slidably to the companion synchronizing member until the speeds of the two clutch members are substantially synchronized, a plunger upon the sliding synchronizing member actuable substantially radially and having its inner end portion engageable, in a retracted position of said plunger, with the clutch member carrying the non-sliding synchronizing member, to connect the sliding synchronizing member to said clutch member during a portion of the travel of the actuable clutch member from the companion clutch member, and means normally pro 'ecting said plunger.

7. The com ination with a pair of co-axial clutch members, herein distinguished as the first and second clutch members, havin engageable ositive drive elements, one 0 said members being actuable toward the other, of a pair of speed s ohronizing members, one rigidl connecte to the first clutch member, and t 0 other slidable axially of the clutch relative to the second clutch member, said sponsive to actuation of the I synchronizing members being Vance of en gement of said drive elements, and the sliding synchronizing member being adapted responsive to its engagement by the other synchronizin member to undergo a limited rotation with res ct to the second clutch member, and being normally restrained from such limited rotation, and a stop engaged by the slidin synchronizing member through said limits rotation thereof, positively preventing sliding of said memr, responsive to the companion synchronizm member, while engaged with said stop.

8. e combination with a pair of clutch members, one slidable toward the other, and having engageable positive drive elements, and means for shifting said sliding clutch member, of a pair of speed synchronizing members having normally spaced friction faces engageable through an advance of the sliding clutch member toward the other clutch member, in advance of engagement of said drive elements, said synchronizing members being movable with the sliding clutch member durin eng ement of the latter with the other clutc mem r, a guiding and driving member mounted on one of said clutch members, and elongated parallel to the clutch axis, and having a pair of opposite notches, and a (pair of guiding and driving members carrie by one of sand synchronizing members embracing said notched member, and thereby driving said synchronizing member in substantial unison with said clutch memher, said embracing members being alternatively able in the corresponding notches of the notched member in advance of engagement of said drive elements, and responsive to engagement of the two synchronizing members, and 1plrleventing engagement of and elements w e in either of said notches.

9. An attachment for a pair of co-acting clutch members having positive drive elements, comprising a drum attachable to one of said clutch members, a synchronizing member rigidly attachable to the other clutch member, and a second speed synchronizing member mounted upon said drum and slidable axially of the drum responsive to its engagement by the first mentioned synchronizing member, and movable rotatably through initial engagement by said companion synchronizing member to lock it against further sliding travel, until the speeds of the clutch members are synchronized.

10. The combination with a air of coaxial clutch members, one actua 1e toward the other, and having engageable positive drive elements, and control means for said actuable member, of a control member slidable upon one of said clutch members in the direction of the clutch axis, a co-acting con trol member carried by the other clutch member, said control members being frictionally engageable in response to an initial actuation of the clutch, and in advance of contact of said drive elements, and means upontheclutch member carrying the sliding control member positively resistm slidin of said control member, and there y holdlng the drive elements of the clutch separated until speed synchronism is established. v

11. The combination with a air of coaxial clutch members, one slida le toward the other, and having engageable positive drive elements, and control means for shifting the sliding member, of a pair of control members, carried one b each of said'clutch members, and engagea le responsive to an initial actuation-of the sliding clutch member, one of said control members being slidably actuable by the other parallel to the clutch axis, and further being adapted for a limited rotative actuation by the other con: trol member with respect to its su zporting clutch member, and means upon e last named clutch ,member stoppling sliding of the sliding control member w ile said sli ing member is rotatively shifted relative to its supporting clutch'member, said drive elements being so arated in the rotatively shifted position 0 the sliding control member, and being enga able by completion of the slidin travel 0 the sliding control member.

12. he combination with a pair of co-axial clutch members having en geable positive drive elements, and means it! actuating one of said members to and from the other, of a drum mounted upon one of said members, a pair of annular control members, one carried by said drum, and slidable thereupon, parallel to the clutch axis, and the other carried by the other clutch member, said control members bein frictionally engageable responsive to an lnitial actuation of the clutch, and prior to eggagement of said drive elements, means carri by said drum guiding sliding travel of the slidm control member mounted thereon and estab ishing a rotative drive connection between the drum and said control members, said means providing for a limited relative rotary movement of the drum and control member carried thereby, and thereby preventing a complete response of the sliding clutch member to a controlling effort, said drive elements of the clutch being separated in the rotatively shifted position of the sliding control member.

13. The combination of two coaxial power transmitting members, each provided with a positively driven toothed clutch element and a positively driven friction synchronizing element, said friction synchronizing elements being frictionally engageable one with the other by a relative axial movement in order to bring said power transmitting members into synchronous rotation prior to the lntermeshing of said toothed clutch elements,

which are also engageable by a relative axial movement, one of said friction synchronizing elements being connected tonne of said wer transmitting members so as to have a limited relative angular movement and a relative axial movement with respect thereto, said last named power transmitting element and friction synchronizing element having c0- operating inclined detents arranged to be in axial alinement when the synchronizing element is at one end ofrits relativeangular movement, the-detents being disposed a radial distancefrom the axis at least equal to the radial distance of the zone of frictional contact between said friction synchronizing element I Y 14. The combination of two power transmitting members, one of which is adapted to drive the other, including toothed intermeshable elements one of which is axially movable into and out of engagement with the other; a friction member fixed with res ect to the movable toothed element, a second riction member capable of axial and limited rotary movement with respect to the other toothed element; said second friction member being provided with a detent, a cooperating detent fixed with respect to said other toothed element and arranged to aline with the detent on said second friction member when the latter is at the. limit of said relative rotary movement, said detents functioning to obstruct engagement of the toothed elements during a synchronous rotation thereof, and to resolve the axial force exerted b the axial movement of the movable tooth element toward interengagement with its companion into an axial force tending to press the frictional surfaces into tighter engagement and a tangential force tending to sing:- larl displace said second friction mem r wit respect to said axiallymovable toothed element when chronous rotation occurs.

15. The com ination of two power transmitti members, one of which 1s adapted to drive e other, including toothed intermeshable elements connectible and disconnectible b relative movement of one toward or from t e other; a friction member in positive torque transmitting relation to each power transmitting member, respectively, one friction member movable into and out of frictional driving engagement with the other to bring the pgitive power transmitting elements to su antially the same speeds prior to establishin a positive driving connection; one of said rictlon members being capable of a limited rotary and axial movement with res ct to the ower transmitting member wi which it is in positive torque transmitting relation; detents fixed respectively relatively to that friction member which is capable of said limited rotary and axial movement and with respect to said positive .power transmitting member with which the former is in positive torque transmitting relation; said detents being arran ed to obstruct intermeshin of the tee of the toothed intermesha le elements when the last named friction member reaches the limit of said relative rotary movement and a yieldable device arranged to establish alight friction engagement between the last named friction member and said toothed power transmitting member with which the former is in positive torque transmitting relation and adapted to produce sufiicient initial pressure between the friction surfaces of the friction members to efl'ect axial alinement of said detents.

16. The combination of two power transmittinglmembers, one of which is adapted to drive t e other, including toothed intermeshable elements one of which is axially fixed to one of said members and the other axially movable with the other; a friction synchronizin element fixed with respect to the axial y movable toothed element; a companion friction synchronizing element capa- 1c of 'axial movement and limited rotary movement with respect to said axially fixed toothed element; coo rating detents fixed with respect. to sai companion friction synchronizing element and said axiall fixed toothed element; and means afior g a yieldable resistance to relative movement between said axially fixed toothed element and said companion friction synchronizing element.

In testimony whereof I allix 'm ature.

TRACY B. R.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Reissue Patent No. 18,319. Granted January 5, 1932, to

TRACY B. TYLER.

it is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 6, line 34, claim 14, lor the words "a synchronous" read asynchronous; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 5th day of April, A. D. 1932.

M. J. Moore,

(Seal) 7 Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

